A blog about the history, current state, and the future of the electric guitar and tube-based amplifier combo and how this de rigueur musical instrument that matured during the Rock N' Roll-era continues to both evolve and refuses to die.

Friday, December 26, 2014

Even though the last time I saw it being done was back in
1989, can the blue input captain micro-transformer be used as an electric bass
guitar pickup?

By: Ringo Bones

Blue input captain micro-transformers, as they are known by
their “trade-name” here in Cebu, Philippines, are usually more synonymous with
tweaking the AN214 integrated circuit audio amplifier than being used in the
musical performance field. But those fortunate enough – and old enough – to had
experienced this “black-art” back around 1989 to 1992, can the blue input
captain micro-transformers be used – if they even work at all – as an electric
bass guitar pickup?

Even though I’ve only seen it actually done less than five
times as a “secret electric bass guitar tweak” back in 1989, using some
balanced-unbalanced blue-color-coded microphone transformers intended for impedance matching of either balanced and unbalanced microphones to be used in ether balanced or unbalanced circuits – as they are
properly known – does indeed work as an electric bass guitar pickup. Even
though orientation to optimize for the loudest bass signal is about as tricky
as fixing a P-90 type electric guitar pickup with faded polarity and terminal
indicators, it did manage to generate a very strong bass signal with a bit too
much sub-sonic / infrasound harmonics that it necessitated the placing of a
0.1-microfarad 50-volt Mylar capacitor in series with its output terminals in
order to filter out the excess sub-sonic / infrasonic garbage from overloading the
cones of your electric bass amplifier’s loudspeaker. Note that those tiny red
dots on the bobbin of the blue input captain micro-transformers are polarity
indicators.

The resulting tone – using a late 1970s early 1980s Japanese
made Fender bass copy – is reminiscent that of the hair metal band Poison’s
bass player Bobby Dall’s tone during the Flesh and Blood and Swallow This Live
period of the band. Even though this “characterless 1980s era synthesizer keyboard
like bass tones” is not going to be of everyone’s taste, it does make an
interesting tweak to one’s “auxiliary electric bass guitar” to those wanting to
sound like Poison’s bass player Bobby Dall during the hair metal band’s Flesh
and Blood and Swallow This Live period or those currently working in a Poison
tribute band wanting for some more “tonal authenticity”.